Device to provoke underwater explosions



JosE MENA Y vlEYRA DE ABREU 3,179,048

DEVICE TO PROVOKE UNDERWATER EXPLOSIONS Filed March l2, 1962 April 2o,196s 3 Sheets-Sheet FIG. 7

Inventor 30S?. MENA y VIEYRA DE ABREU By W and uw? Attorneys April 20,1965 JOSE MENA Y vn-:YRA DE ABREU 3,179,048

DEVICE TO PROVOKE UNDERWATER EXPLOSIONS Filed March l2, 1962 I5Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor :os MENA y vlayRA be ABREU By maud@ AttorneysApril 20, 1965 JOSE MENA Y vlEYRA DE ABRI-:U 3,179,048

DEVICE T0 PROVOKE UNDERWATER EXPLOSIONS Filed March l2, 1962 3Sheets-Sheet 3 ma@ 20mm mndA v A M HR I w United States Patent Ofice'l'lh@ Patented Apr. 20, 1965 DEVECE T PRGVUKE UNDERWATER EXPLSlONS.lose Mena y Vieyra de Abreu, lisas-c Peral S, Madrid, Spain Filed Mar.l2, i962, Ser. No. 179,l25 Claims priority, application Spain, Mar. 25,196]., 266,966 Claims. (ci. rc2-7) The object of the presen-t inventionrelates to a device to provoke underwater explosions, as describedhereinafter in a broad and unlimited sense.

The most outstanding general features are the simplicity of the diversmechanisms or constitutive elements, the great precision of performanceand the permanent guarantee of proper safety.

Another important feature consists in that the charge or mines fittedwith this new device, do not explode upon impact with the liquid mass,whether launched by special means, by hand or from aircraft, in nomatter which manner of construction, as it can only act under water andprecisely in virtue of the hydrostatic pressure applied thereto.

Furthermore, the sinking speed of the projectile will not delay oradvance the moment of explosion, as such is produced by the actualhydrostatic pressure in cooperation with a coil spring that is describedhereinafter.

The fuzes that are fitted with this new device can be mounted for anindefinite period of time to their charges or mines, destitute of anyrisks or danger whatsoever, as the detonator can be kept separately andcoupled thereto at the precise moment of launching the projectile; anoperation that only requires a very short space of time, i.e., a fewseconds of attention.

Moreover, the mines or charges can be provided with variable amounts ofexplosive in compliance with the desired effects.

For a better comprehension of the object referred to herein, the presentspecihcation ls accompanied by three sheets of drawings, exclusively byway of an example, illustrating therein the divers parts that constitutesame and their mutual cooperation.

Said drawings represent:

First @rara-This figure is a longitudinal section of the deviceconstituting the `object of the present invention, showing therein thefollowing elements: l--The lid or cover that hermetically seals thedevice and which is held to the head portion thereof by means of a screwthread to ensure a perfect seal. Said cover efficiently protects allfunctional organs, in particular the safety and firing elements. Z--Thewater inlet valve that is threaded to the central and upper portion ofsaid head portion. 3 The orifice applied to the upper portion of thevalve 2 to facilitate inspection of the position of the inertia safetyelement. Ll-Several peripheral orifices that are applied to the valve 2for the `'admission of water to the internal portion of the device inorder to eifect a thrust of the firing piston, by means of hydrostaticpressure. S-The thread required for mounting the valve 2 to the head ofthe device. ti-The same peripheral orifices as cited in 4 and whichpermit the insertion of the corresponding transport safety elementthrough two of the referred to perforations that are placed in pairs inan opposed diametral sense. 7--The transport safety device constitutedby a rigid element provided at one of its ends with a convenientlycurved portion to limit penetration of this transport safety element tothe orifices cited in d. This corresponds to the mounting of a knuckleapt to rotate in both directions so that, when placed in thelongitudinal position, it will facilitate the insertion and extractionof said transport safety element through the orifices d, 6 and i3,whereas when placed in the transversal position, it will prevent theextraction or dropping out of said safety element. 9-The angular curvedportion of the transport safety element, This safety device 7 whenproperly applied is completely accommodated inside the cover il. li-Thehead of the device, of a sensibly circular shape that extends forming acylindrical appendage to encircle a second central appendage thataccommodates the firing elements. li- The thread applied to the headportion it) and into which the cover l is screwed. i12-The firing pistonconstituted by a cylindrical body mounted by means of a diametraldifference to the internal portion of the likewise cylindrical body i9,constituting the central appendage of the missile. Although said pistonl2 has to slide along the appendage i9, the adjustment thereof is suchthat no water can penetrate to the space between both elements. 11i-Thebore applied to the inertia safety element, for insertion of `thetransport safety device 7 when said orice is at the height of theperforations 4;, 6, thus guaranteeing a permanent retention of theinertia safety element, while the transport safety device has not beenwithdrawn. ld-The balls that operate in combination with the inertiasafety element. A variable number of Said balls are lodged in the boresapplied to the firing piston l2 susceptible to being displaced laterallyboth toward the inside as also the outside of the piston l2, notdropping out or leaving their seating due to the periphery of thereferred to bores being properly flanged.

When the inertia safety element is placed sensibly in the position shownin FIGS. l and 2, the balls are thereby thrust outwardly and thus thepiston l2 cannot descend although the transport safety device 7 isremoved, in Virtue of the balls lll overtopping the external diameter ofthe piston l2 and cannot descend more than beyond the step 15 andthereby block the descent of the piston. lS-The heretofore mentionedstep, located in the top portion of the head. ld-The inertia safetyelement constituted by a cylindrical body placed in a slideable mannerinside the firing piston l2, while furthermore ensuring, between saidpiston and the inertia lsafety element, the required watertightness,same as between the firing piston and the appendage i9, so as to preventwater penetrating to the inside. l-The helicoidal spring that is mountedinside the firing piston yand in the hollow portion of the inertiasafety element, whose constant thrust prevents the descent of saidinertia safety element after the transport safety device has beenremoved.

The thrust coeicient of this spring is calculated scientifically so thatat the predetermined depth, the hydrostatic pressure will provoke thedisplacement of the inertia safety element, thereby overcoming theresistance exerted by the said spring i7. lS-The cylinder or centralchamber through which the firing piston 12 slides. 9-The appendage thatencircles the aforementioned chamber 1S. Mii-The detonator mountedinside a fuze cap holder constituted by mounting same to this effect, bymeans of a thread to the lower central portion of the piston l2. 2li-Thedetonator shutter located between the fulminating cap and the strikerpin.

This shutter is constituted by two superposed washers compressingbetween same a tinfoil disk, or the like, so as to insulate an eventualexplosion of the cap Zt while ensuring a hermetic seal of the explosive.,Z2-The striker pin located in a position facing the fuhninant of thedetonator 2li. ZS-The base of the firing pin constituted by a circularelement holding said pin 22 in the center thereof. 24E-*The multiplierexplosive provided with a two diameter axil bore, of which the top boreis the larger to enable a passage for the detonator, so that detonationis produced in the precise center of the multiplier explosive.

The lower portion, that of a smaller diameter, enables the passage ofthe striker pin, adjusted to the walls thereof in order to avoiddecentration and to ensure a permanent location of same in front of thedetonator cap. ZS-The air expansion chamber. z-The thread for holdingthe upper and lower bodies. E27-The cover or lower appendage containingthe multiplier explosive. ZS-The thread applied to facilitate holdingthe new device containing the charge or mine. 29The bore applied as airinlet.

Second figura- This ligure represents a detail in a longitudinal sectionof the device, identifying therein the possibility of placing one orseveral supplementary elements in the internal chamber of the firingpiston 12, for the purpose of ensuring a greater tension of thehelicoidal spring 1.7, said supplementary elements acting as regulators,in virtue of which the explosion will be produced at a greater depth dueto an increase of the hydrostatic pressure that is required to subduethe greater tension of said spring. Sil- Illustrates the referred tosupplementary elements constituted by a determined number of disks madeof an appropriate material and thickness to be able to comply with theirmission. The thickness of each of these supplementary disks isscientifically calculated and experimentally tested, so that when placedunderneath the helicoidal spring 17 they will increase the resistancethat said spring exerts upon the advance movement of the inertia safetyelement 16 when submitted to hydrostatic pressure. This increase ofresistance, apt to be graduated, progressively, in accordance to whetherone, two, three or several disks are utilized, provokes firing,progressively, at a greater depth as will be described hereinafter.

Third figura-This ligure is a sectional View of the referred to devicewhen utilized as a fuze for a charge or mine, of a large variety ofdimensions and shapes. 3l- Represents the body of the charge or minethat is mounted to the device by means of the thread Z3.

From the exposed idea it is understood that the cited device can beutilized as a separate element (FIG. l), or else coupled to charges ormines (FIG. 3), of a large variety of dimensions and shapes.

in the first instance (individual or separate use), the explosive forcewill depend upon the volume and kind of explosive Z4. In the secondinstance, same will depend upon the force of the explosive 24 incombination with the explosive contained in the charge or mine 31.

In consequence thereof, the main applications in the tirst instance areas follows; submarine explosions of a reduced or regular power forprospection and research work, bathymetric exploitations, etc.Explosions destined to scare or destroy sharks or other harmful ordangerous species. Furthermore, it can be used against amphibian, as adefense against frog men, human torpedoes, divers and the like, as alsofor the transmission of signals by explosions, prior to an establishedcode, to submarines and the like, as also in the destruction oftorpedoes or drifting mines, etc.

Coupled as a fuze to charges or mines, it can be used against submarinesand for large scale destruction.

The performance of the device is as follows (FIG. 1): After removing thelid or cover 1 and thereafter the transport safety element 7, theprojectile is launched into the water. No matter the dropping force uponstriking the liquid mass, a blocking of the ring piston will be ensuredby the fact that the inertia safety element 16 which cannot descendwhile it is retained in its position by the spring 17, forces the balls14 outwardly, so that the piston cannot descend as said balls, togetherwith the piston thus constitute a catch that prevents its descent beyondthe step 15.

As the projectile descends under the water, this latter penetratesthrough the central orice 3 as also the series of lateral orifices 4, 6thus pushing against the inertia safety element 16 with an everincreasing force in accordance with the increase of depth and,consequently also, of the hydrostatic pressure.

In virtue of this thrust, the inertia safety element 16 is caused toadvance slowly and will thus progressively compress the helicoidalspring 17 until the inertia safety element 16, in its advance movementoverrides the step 15, at which moment the tiring operation takes placein the following manner: When the upper portion of the inertia safetyelement 16 overrides the line of said balls, i.e., the step 1S, it willcease to push said balls outwardly and thus as the hydrostatic pressureacts not alone upon the inertia safety element 16, but likewise upon theentire section of the firing piston 12, this piston will consequentlyviolently shoot downward as the balls 14 are no longer retained, whereassaid balls during the advance of the piston i2 will be pushed by thestep 15 toward the internal portion of said piston, practically withoutoffering any resistance whatsoever. It is therefore that, the piston 12will advance rapidly in virtue of the thrust exerted by the hydrostaticpressure, thus precipitating the detonator 2? against the tiring pin22;, after having broken, during its advance, the tinfoil, or the like,disk that is located in the central portion of the shutter 21. By thismeans the firing pin 22 produces the explosion of the detonator insidethe multiplier explosive 24, so that thereby a perfect tiring of saidmultiplier explosive is ensured.

When the described missile is utilized coupled to charges or mines as afuze, the performance thereof is identical, while making use of thedetonation of said multiplier explosive Zd to provoke a completeexplosion of the charge or mine in question, that is coupled thereto ina similar manner to such as is illustrated in FEG. 3.

As has already been described, the tension of the helicoidal spring i7can be increased as desired by previously rated and calibrated disks 3i)as supplementary elements placed between said spring 17 and thedetonator Ztl. By this means divers predetermined depths of explosioncan be obtained besides those of the initial tension of the helicoidalspring 17 by a corresponding correction ofthe depth regulating disk ordisks.

Having made the preceding description, it should be stressed that thedetails of realization of the exposed idea are variable without therebychanging the essence of the invention, which is such as is described inthe foregoing paragraphs and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An underwater explosive device adapted to fire at preselected fixeddepths, comprising a tubular housing closed at the bottom, an explosivein the bottom portion of the housing, said explosive having a well inthe upper surface thereof in which a striker pin extends, the upperportion of the housing being partially closed by a head having aninwardly and downwardly disposed cylinder opening both upwardly anddownwardly, a tubular piston slidably disposed in said cylinder to moveunder hydrostatic pressure, a detonator secured at the bottom of thepiston and positioned to strike said striker pin upon downward movementof the piston, a second piston slideable in said tubular piston, biasingmeans positioned between said rst and second pistons urging them apartand including means for varying the compression of said biasing meansfor selectively controlling the depth of detonation, said tubular pistonhaving at least one orice in its wall, a groove in said cylinder alignedwith said orifice and positioned in an upper location, and movabledetent means seated in said orifice and groove and retained therein bysaid second piston to prevent initial downward movement of the tubularpiston, said second piston being movable by hydrostatic pressure opposedby said biasing means a sufficient distance to uncover said orifice topermit said movable detent means to drop out of said groove and orificefreeing the tubular piston for rapid downward movement under hydrostaticpressure and pressure of said biasing means to strike said detonatoragainst the tiring pin.

2. An underwater explosive device according to claim l wherein saidtubular piston is a cylinder having a closure wall at its bottom, saidsecond piston is a safety cylinder slidable within the bore of saidtubular piston and having a closure wall at its top, said biasing meansbeing a compression spring seated on the bottom closure wall of thetubular piston and bearing against the upper closure wall of the safetycylinder.

3. An underwater explosive device according to claim 2 wherein saidtubular piston has a wall portion extending above the top of saidhousing head with at least one opening therein, there being furtherprovided a removable safety bar passing into said opening to preventdownward movement of the tubular piston, an upward projection from saidsafety cylinder wall having an opening capable of alignment with saidopening in the piston wall portion and adapted to receive said safetybar for also locking the safety cylinder .against downward movement, acap removably secured to said head, a cover removably secured to saidhead and enclosing said cap and said safety bar, said cap lying within ahollow portion of said cover, said cap having aligned openings forpassage of said safety bar and passage of water to the safety cylinderand tubular piston upon removal of the safety bar, and said removablecap having a central aperture for visual inspection and passage of waterto the safety cylinder.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,314,662 9/19Huber 102-7 1,314,665 9/19 Huber 10?.-7 1,514,743 11/24 Taylor 102-72,340,695 2/44 Rothrock 102-24 2,850,974 9/58 De Abreu 10.2-7 3,031,9635/62 De Abreu 102-7 X BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

SAMUEL FEINBERG, SAMUEL BOYD, Examiners.

1. AN UNDERWATER EXPLOSIVE DEVICE ADAPTED TO FIRE AT PRESELECTED FIXEDDEPTHS, COMPRISING A TUBULAR HOUSING CLOSED AT THE BOTTOM, AN AXPLOSIVEIN THE BOTTOM PORTION OF THE HOUSING, SAID EXPLOSIVE HAVING A WELL INTHE UPPER SURFACE THEREOF IN WHICH A STRIKER PIN EXTENDS, THE UPPERPORTION OF THE HOUSING BEING PARTIALLY CLOSED BY A HEAD HAVING ANINWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY DISPOSED CYLINDER OPENING BOTH UPWARDLY ANDDOWNWARDLY, A TUBULAR PISTON SLIDABLY DISPOSED IN SAID CYLINDER TO MOVERUNDER HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE, A DETONATOR SECURED AT THE BOTTOM OF THEPISTON AND POSITIONED TO STIRKE AND STRIKER PIN UPON DOWNWARD MOVEMENTOF THE PISTON, A SECOND PISTON SLIDEABLE IN SAID TUBULAR PISTON, BIASINGMEANS POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND PISTONS URGING THEM APARTAND INCLUDING MEANS FOR VARYING THE COMPRESSION OF SAID BISING MEANS FORSELECTIVELY CONTROLLING THE DEPTH OF DETONATION, SAID TUBULAR PISTONHAVING AT LEAST ONE ORIFICE IN ITS WALL, A GROOVE IN SAID CYLINDERALIGNED WITH SAID ORIFICE AND POSITIONED IN AN UPPER LOCATION, ANDMOVABLE DETENT MEANS SEATED IN SAID ORIFICE AND GROOVE AND RETAINEDTHEREIN BY SAID SECOND PISTON TO PREVENT INITIAL DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OFTHE TUBULAR PISTON, SAID SECOND PISTION BEING MOVABLE BY HYDROSTATICPRESSURE OPPOSED BY SAID BIASING MEANS A SUFFICIENT DISTANCE TO UNCOVERORIFICE TO PERMIT SAID MOVABLE DETENT MEANS TO DROP OUT OF SAID GROOVEAND ORIFICE FREEING THE TUBULAR PISTON FOR RAPID DOWNWARD MOVEMENT UNDERHYDROSTATIC PRESSURE AND PRESSURE OF SAID BIASING MEANS TO STIRKE SAIDDETONATOR AGAINST THE FIRING PIN.